(June 12, 2020) – Williamsport High School Spanish teacher Rachel Dayley has been honored as Language Teacher of the Year by the Maryland Foreign Language Association (MFLA). Rachel has taught in Washington County Public Schools (WCPS) for nearly nine years and becomes the fourth WCPS language teacher to win the MFLA award in the past seven years.  

“I am honored and humbled to receive this award and proud to be in the company of my fellow educators who were recognized previously,” Rachel said. “I hope to use this platform to represent the amazing things happening in WCPS world language education.” 

"Rachel is one of the extraordinary teachers on our team, and it's an honor for her to be recognized at this level," says Dr. Boyd Michael, superintendent of schools. "Rachel's enthusiasm for language, her creativity in instruction, and her commitment to students are all clearly evident in a visit to her classroom. She is an inspiration to both her colleagues and her students to achieve and grow in their education." 

Ms. Dayley is no stranger to achievements and honors. She is a Global Seal of Biliteracy recipient and has been nominated three times for Washington County Teacher of the Year, earning finalist in 2018, while also advising the Spanish Honor Society at Williamsport High and co-advising the Spanish Reading Buddies Program between Williamsport High and Hickory Elementary School. 

World Languages supervisor Paula Moore says, "Rachel's exuberance, passion for Spanish, and skillful teaching make her classroom exciting, supportive, and engaging. She models for students every day that a greater understanding of another language helps to better understand others, which promotes empathy and respect for all. Her humility, commitment to innovation, and high expectations for herself and others make her a remarkable educator and leader in world language teaching." 

Previous WCPS recipients of the MFLA Language Teacher of the Year award are Caroline Schlegel, Amber Sheffler and Ayako Shiga.